Beautiful 'Day'

February 3, 2005 at 06:43 PM

Beautiful 'Day'

Celine Dion's Vegas act isn't just for fans.

LAS VEGAS -- Celine Dion's Las Vegas spectacular "A New Day ..." is as much for fans of musical theater as it is for the French-Canadian songstress' legions of adorers. With the help of Franco Dragone, who's best known for his work with Cirque du Soleil, Dion's tunes are painstakingly transformed into breathtaking mini-musicals that combine the intimacy of a club gig with the dramatic intensity of the opera and the colorful, high-kicking flair of Broadway.

A myriad of visual elements -- from Dion herself to the small army of dancers she employs to Dragone's virtual sets, which he creates using an enormous LED screen (one of the largest in the world) at the rear of the stage and uses to transport show-goers to locales both familiar and fantastical, including Times Square, a gothic castle and a quaint Italian village -- have audience members wondering where to look first.

But the heart of "A New Day ..." is Dion, swathed in shimmery couture gowns by John Galliano from the House of Christian Dior and Emanuel Ungaro, and her powerful voice, which together set the mood for each of Dragone's elaborately staged numbers.

Take Dion out of the picture for more than a few blinks of the eye, and the flashy production is little more than state-of-the-art Vegas cheese. "A New Day's" creators seem keenly aware of this, because Dion is anchored to the stage for all but a few minutes of the show's 1½-hour duration, leaving only a handful of times to quickly slip into an outfit more fabulous than the last, a kind of goodwill offering to the audience for allowing Dion briefly out of its sight.

A show simply isn't Strip-worthy without a little sex and a tribute or two. Dion turns up the heat with the sultry chanson "Seduces Me," performing center stage from an armchair with 20 shirtless hunks writhing at her feet.

"Whew! Anyone want to try that chair?" she joked afterward, pretending to fan herself. "All I have to say is, 'Thank you, Franco Dragone!'"

Dion later pays loving tribute to three of the legendary artists who inspired her -- Etta James, Peggy Lee and Frank Sinatra. Her rendition of "At Last" not only does James' version justice, it demonstrates Dion's versatility as an artist and proves once and for all she can sing the blues. And Lee's "Fever," which Dion performs seated atop a grand piano before descending a "staircase" of her male dancers' backs, has the swingin', finger-snapping panache of vintage Vegas.

Of course, it wouldn't be a Celine Dion show without "My Heart Will Go On," accompanied by the passionate chest-pound that's became Dion's signature move, and at least one tearjerker.

"May I sit with you for a few minutes?" she asks the audience, taking a seat at the edge of the stage before dedicating a touching lullaby entitled "If I Could" from her new album "Miracle" to her own miracle, her son, Rene-Charles.

As a teary, whispery Dion offers her young son a shoulder to cry on whenever things get tough, a winged angel descends from above, presumably to symbolize a mother's dual role as nurturer and protector. Sappy? Absolutely, but the sentiment expressed, albeit over-the-top, feels sincere nonetheless and, therefore, has its intended effect. Either that or half of the audience came down with a sudden case of the sniffles.

"Twenty more!" yelled a female member of the audience as Dion and her cast and crew took their final bows. "Twenty more!"

When another female fan professed her love in Spanish from the front row, a clearly touched Dion clutched her own heart and replied, "I love you, too." Looking around at the many faces of the multi-cultural audience, she added, "I wish I could speak every language so I could tell you how much I love, we love, performing for you. Thank you."

Source: http://www.sfexaminer.com/articles/2005/02...2_en01_dion.txt

http://www.sfexaminer.com/content/articles/2005/02/02/entertainment/20050202_en01_dion.jpg

From the same writer as the "Celine close up" article. Bill obviously likes Celine

February 3, 2005 at 07:13 PM

I like this part "Her rendition of "At Last" not only does James' version justice, it demonstrates Dion's versatility as an artist and proves once and for all she can sing the blues." :wub: